


need to know basis

by angrylizardjacket (ephemeralstar)



Series: And All The Queen's Men 'verse [9]
Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - John/Giselle, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-12
Updated: 2019-01-12
Packaged: 2019-10-08 20:49:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17393474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ephemeralstar/pseuds/angrylizardjacket
Summary: John's got a girlfriend. He fails to mention she's a celebrity.





	need to know basis

**Author's Note:**

> AU of And All The Queen’s Men; Giselle/Deaky. Of course dedicated to the lovely @ginghampearlsnsweettea

The first time any of the band hears about John’s girlfriend is when they’re at a pub together after a gig, still playing as  _Smile_ , and Roger’s trying to set him up with someone.

“Roger, I  _have_ a girlfriend.” He’s got his hands wrapped around a pint of lager, looking terribly put upon by the efforts of the others, and they all take a long moment to process what he’s said.

“Well why is this the first time I’m hearing about her?” Roger asks, almost a little scandalised, and Freddie is squinting at John like he’s done some personal affront to him. Brian, much to John’s relief, couldn’t seem to care less.

“She’s just never come up.” Is all John says on the matter. After a moment, Roger throws his hands in the air, crowing about how that can’t possibly be true, which keeps him occupied for the next five minutes, not that the rest of them pay him much attention.

“What’s her name?” Brian asks, taking a long sip of his drink. John smiles, just a little, thinking about her.

“Giselle.”

* * *

“So when do we actually get to meet this mystery woman of yours?” Mary asks John with a sly smile while Brian’s recording for their first album; she’s leaning on the back of his chair, trying to keep Roger and the girl he’s brought with him out of her eyesight, since they’re being a little too handsy for public but she can’t bring herself to tell them to knock it off.

“What?” John tears his gaze away from Brian’s playing to look up at Mary with confusion.

“Giselle; we’ve known about her for a year but never seen any actual proof that she exists.” She laughed lightly.

“He is terrible at hiding his hickies; I like to think that’s pretty good proof.” Freddie’s leaning over the sound desk with a frown, but his voice is light enough, his words giving rise to a blush on John’s cheeks.

“She’s very busy,” despite his embarrassment, there’s pride in his voice, “she’s got a thing in America right now, but she’ll be back at the end of the month.” 

“What’s she in America for?” Roger calls from the sofa, apparently invested enough in the conversation to divert his attention from his partner for a moment.

“If you must know, she’s on tour.” He says, matter-of-factly, and it’s enough to shut everyone else up. None of them are really sure what he means by that, or even if he’s telling the truth.

“Alright, no need to be sarcastic, I was just asking.” Roger huffs. They leave John well enough alone about Giselle after that, and he’s a little bemused at their reaction; he’d answered honestly.

* * *

Giselle is an enigma to the rest of the band; she’s a performer,  _maybe_ , she’s been to America,  _probably_ , she’s constantly busy,  _apparently._ It doesn’t help that whenever John answers questions about her, they can’t tell if he’s being sarcastic or not ( _he’s not, but he also doesn’t clarify that_ ). Once or twice, John’s come to rehearsals late looking a little pleased and a little flustered, muttering about how Giselle had gotten back early. By 1972 they  _live together,_ according to John, and the others are  _baffled_ that they still don’t even know what she looks like.

“Do you guys wanna come along to a taping of Top of the Pops? Gigi’s invited us.” John offers after practice one night, and Roger puts on a show of pressing his hand to his chest, taking a dramatic seat.

“You mean we’re  _finally_ going to meet the  _famed_ Giselle?” He gasps, and John can’t help his amused smile at the drummer’s wording.

“I  _feel_ like you’ve met her before.” John says, trying to think back over the past few years, though nothing really springs to mind, which is strange; they have been together for over three years at this point.

“I think we’d remember her.” Brian does have to agree with Roger for once, though it’s Freddie that’s the first to voice confusion.

“Top of the Pops?” He asks, curious, and John nods once.

“She’s performing.” Somehow this raises more questions than it answers.

They assume she’s a backup dancer, a member of a supporting band for an artist, and when they turn up, John’s all but bouncing with excitement, grinning from ear to ear as he weaves his way through the building at the instructions of the receptionist. 

It’s about the time that they step in, and it’s still about an hour to filming, and they spot Giselle (with a capital G and  _no last name_  because she doesn’t  _need_ one) arguing with a producer in front of a bored-looking band, that Freddie has the distinct thought of ‘ _Oh, John’s girlfriend has the same name as the singer’,_ before it clicks.

“ _You aren’t paying me to lip sync, and if you are, you got fucking ripped off_.” They hear her tell the producer, and Roger’s already spluttering out half-questions as John’s beaming in her direction. As soon as she spots them all, her anger cracks for the barest moment and she gives a small wave, before going right back to glaring at the man in the suit, “ _I was hired to sing, these people are here to_ hear  _me sing, and-_ ” the man held up a hand for quiet, which Giselle didn’t seem to happy about, though he agreed to isolate the instruments in the playback so she could sing live.

“ _Just tell your dad I did you this favour, okay_?” And when he says it, Giselle looks like she’s about to explode with rage. Frozen to the ground, she squeezes her eyes shut, spits out a thanks, and takes a moment in which she looks like she’s going through physical pain before her expression shifts to her more familiar cool, neutral mask.

“You’re fucking joking.” Brian murmurs under his breath, as if he can’t believe his eyes when she makes her way towards them.

“So sorry you had to see that,” she gives them all a thin, reserved smile, “but I’m so glad you all could make it.” She’s  _stunning_ , every bit the image of perfection that’s painted across countless tabloids, album covers, and tour posters.

And here she was. Standing next to Deaky. Holding his hand.

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Freddie breathes, a little starry-eyed, reaching out to offer his hand. “Lovely to meet you, I’m Freddie.” And when Giselle takes his hand, her handshake is firm, and the sequins of her glove a little sharp against his palm.

“Nice to finally meet you, Freddie.” And her smile this time is far warmer, more genuine, and Freddie grins brightly back, lost in the moment, before it breaks with Roger incredulous scoff.

“Finally meeting  _us?_  You’re the mystery woman.” He says, and in that instant, Giselle just looks confused and John looks like he regrets ever inviting them, or ever telling them about her in the first place.

“How did it not come up that you’re dating  _The_ Giselle?” Brian asks, still wide-eyed, trying to take in the whole situation. “You  _know_ Freddie owns all of her records and plays on a loop when he’s sad.” One look from the guitarist to Freddie, and he can see Freddie silently praying for the world to swallow him whole.

“If it makes you feel any better, I’ve taken to listening to the tapes of you guys in rehearsals that John uses to practice to, when I’m on the road.” She says, with a mischievous smile, and John actually smirks, looking at her out of the corner of his eyes.

“And how many assistants have you deafened when you got to  _Fary King- ?”_ He asked, and Giselle cut him off with a giggle, sweet and bright, giving him a gentle shove.

“Oh shut it, you  _know_ my high register’s shit.” She says with a bashful smile, and John snickers.

“Doesn’t stop you trying.” He mused, voice fond. The fact that the other three boys had been quiet for so long is frankly a miracle, and once they’ve stopped teasing each other, Giselle and John see the other three watching them with what looked like disbelief. 

“I should properly introduce you all;” John says suddenly, before holding his hand out towards the boys, “Gigi, this is  _Queen;_ Brian, Freddie, and Roger. Boys; this is Giselle.” She shakes each of their hands in turn. Unfortunately, she’s called away not long after to get her makeup retouched, and John is left in the flabbergasted silence of the three others.

“How in the bloody hell have you left out the  _very important detail_ that your girlfriend is a celebrity?” Roger looks like he’s about at bursting to ask, but he waits until Giselle is out of earshot.

“Didn’t seem important.” John shrugs.

Giselle’s performances have been taped before, of course, and everyone in the industry knows of her stage persona, of the young woman with an almost unrivalled gravitas, but something about it isn’t properly conveyed through a grainy screen. She’s unhesitating, unflinching, as cool and deep as the sea and twice as fierce. When her low vibrato hits in the bridge, Freddie feels like he might faint, like a teenage girl at a Beatles concert, and they’ve never seen John so enraptured in his life.

They wait around after the performance for almost a full hour, until Giselle’s out of costume and just wearing jeans and a knitted sweater, as if trying to downplay the fact that she’d just performed on the biggest music variety show in the UK. When she asks if they all wanna grab dinner, they’re all quick to agree. 

“Freddie are you okay?” With her mouth half-full of burger, Giselle finally gets unnerved enough by Freddie’s gaze that she speaks up. He’s got his chin resting on his hand, his own drink untouched where he’s just admiring her.

“Have you really listened to our music?” He asks, voice almost a little dreamy, and John, yet again, regrets ever joining a band to begin with. Despite this, Giselle nods, finishing her mouthful before naming  _Jesus_ as one of her favourite tracks; Freddie’s smile is blinding. “That’s mine! I wrote that!” With a vaguely fond smile, Giselle decides she likes this strange but endearing man, and John rests his chin on her shoulder, stealing one of her chips. 

It’s strange and almost heartwarming to see how open John is around her, playful, even. The usually reserved Deaky is just as quick to banter with her as he is to compliment her, and the once thought to be unflappable Giselle ( _Giselle_ Jones _; what an ordinary last name for such an extraordinary woman,_ Freddie thinks) is quick to fluster under his praise, hiding her smiles against his shoulder where she’s tucked up beside him, before giving as good as she got in casual banter.

There’s an easy chemistry between them, so clearly built on years of trust, and after a single evening it makes perfect sense to the rest of the band; of course the mild-mannered John Deacon is  ~~dating~~   _in love with_  Jazz sensation Giselle, there’s nothing more obvious in the world.


End file.
